Nightmares
by Paige Jennings
Summary: Odin finds Loki late at night, after he has had a nightmare and comforts him. Kid!Loki&Goodparent!Odin


**Nightmares**

It was well past midnight and everyone in the palace lay in their beds, fast asleep, when Odin walked through the corridors on the way to his bedchambers. He had brooded over the discussion in the council today, long after Frigga had gone to bed. He had not found a satisfying solution to the problem and when weariness had started to creep up on his mind, he had decided that it was pointless to stay awake and it was best if he went to bed.

It was quiet in the palace. The silent cracks of the torches' flames and Odin's heavy footsteps on the marble floors were the only sounds echoing in the abandoned corridors and when he walked past his sons' chambers, he listened into the silence and to his surprise he heard muffled sobs coming from Loki's room.

Gently he opened the door to Loki's chambers and stepped into the black room.

"Loki?" Odin carefully approached the bed and found his son buried under his thick blankets, his body shaking from repressed sobs.

"Loki?"

The boy only noticed him, when he almost stood beside the bed and sat up a little, obviously alarmed by his sudden appearance.

"What is it", Odin asked gently and sat down on the edge of the bed.

"N-Nightmares," his son confessed shakily, tears still glistering in his eyes.

"What about," Odin asked, after Loki had calmed a little and his breathing went more evenly.

"About Jotunheim," he said and Odin suddenly felt tight in his chest. "It was cold and I was all alone. No one was there." He paused. "I-I called for you a-and for mother and Thor, b-but you weren't there." Loki's voice started to shake again, tears welling up in his eyes. "S-Someone was after me, b-but I couldn't see him and I-I kept calling your name, b-but you wouldn't come." He broke into desperate sobs and Odin took him in his big arms and Loki flung his little ones around his neck. He held him like that, until his sobs had died away.

"And suddenly Laufey stood before me," Loki whispered against his shoulder after a while. "I wanted to run away, but I couldn't move and then he stared down at me with these red eyes and I wanted call for you father, but I couldn't do that either." He took a deep breath. "And then he came closer and closer and I was frozen to the spot and then he stretched out his arm and I could almost feel how cold his hands were, but before he could grab me, I woke up."

Odin felt Loki's grip tighten around his neck, when he started crying again and pressed him even closer. "I'm here Loki. It's okay. Laufey can't get you."

"B-But what if he does," Loki sobbed into his shirt.

"If he does, I will come to Jotunheim and bring you back to Asgard myself and I will overcome all of Jotunheim if I have to."

"Even Laufey?"

"Even Laufey. But he won't come. Heimdall is watching and he would not let him pass. And nor will I."

That seemed to calm the little boy and let go of his father.

Odin rose. "Sleep now," he said. "I'll be here," he added smoothly, when he saw his son's anxious face. He gently pulled the covers over him, leaned down to kiss his raven hair and dropped on a chair by the window. Loki cuddled back into his blankets and silence settled in the room. Odin almost thought Loki had fallen back asleep, when;

"Father?"

"Yes, Loki?"

"Can you open the curtains? I would like to see the moon."

So Odin stood up and drew back the curtains (They were too heavy for a six-year old) and bright moonlight fell into the room.

Not long and Loki had fallen back to sleep. Odin could hear his deep, even breathing from the bed. He had pulled his blanket up to his chin, face turned to the moon.

Odin stayed awake for the rest of the night. Most of the time, he watched his slumbering son or looked out of the window up to the moon, dwelling on his thoughts. From time to time he dozed off, but he did not dare to fall asleep. Not until dawn came.

* * *

When Odin awoke in the morning, he was still sitting on the chair, the sun shining through the window and when he looked over to the bed, Loki was gone. When he wanted to rise, he felt something soft and heavy on his body and when he looked down at it, he found that he was covered in Loki's blanket.

**So, how did you like it? The idea for this came to me yesterday and I'd really like to know what you think**

**Also; feel free to correct me in case I made any spelling or grammar mistakes. Thanks :)**

**Oh and Loki is supposed to be about six in this**


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